Belfast-based Housing First project for women leaving prison

Deapul Northern Ireland and Commonweal Housing are set to deliver a trauma-informed Housing First service designed for women leaving prison in Belfast who have complex psychosocial needs, such as addiction issues and mental ill-health.  

Ahead of the project commencing in late 2025, Deirdre Canavan, Senior Services Manager at Depaul NI, highlights the challenges faced by women prison leavers and how their new project aims to address these issues. This interview is featured in Commonweal's latest annual review, entitled Building Together, which can be read here.

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What specific vulnerabilities do women leaving prison face that differ from those of men? 

Women face unique vulnerabilities that are often more complex and gender-specific, typically stemming from different pathways into offending, social roles and the lasting effects of trauma, including those illustrated below.

Overall, these vulnerabilities mean a one-size-fits-all model cannot meet complex needs.

What is the current situation for women leaving prison in Northern Ireland with no home?  

Women face serious challenges securing safe, appropriate accommodation. They can apply for homelessness assessment from the Housing Executive three months prior to release, but full eligibility only begins 28 days before.

Women on remand, who represent the majority of the female prison population, face uncertain release dates and are often released without proper support, relying on unsafe hostels, emergency B&Bs or sofa-surfing.

Depaul’s feasibility study referenced the fact that most women are placed in mixed-gender hostels, where they often report feeling unsafe, being pressured into relationships, and generally exposed to environments that exacerbate mental health issues and substance abuse.

In Northern Ireland, women-only accommodation remains extremely limited; the closure of a women-only service in 2022 removed 21 beds, leaving only a 10-bed service at that time.

Why is it important to identify women in need of housing support before their release? Without pre-release planning, women are too often released into mixed-gender hostels, emergency accommodation, or unsafe environments that can trigger relapse, exploitation, reoffending or further trauma.

Our project aims to address these issues by:

• Collaborating with prison staff to identify women at risk of homelessness.

• Engaging with women up to three months before release to understand their needs

• Developing resettlement plans for each woman during custody, with follow-up community support measures.

This proactive approach aims to achieve smoother transitions into the community and improved engagement with health, social care and family services.

How does your Housing First approach aim to improve outcomes for women? 

Our Housing First approach offers women immediate access to safe, women-only accommodation without preconditions. It acknowledges that housing is not a reward for recovery, but a foundation for it.

Women will receive trauma-informed support delivered by trained staff who understand the impact of adverse experiences and create psychologically safe spaces for women to shape their recovery and resettlement pathways.

When adapted to meet the specific needs of women, Housing First not only improves individual outcomes, but also contributes to systemic savings in the justice, health and housing sectors.

Desired outcomes from our project include:

• Improved access to safe long-term housing, reducing the revolving door of homelessness and custody.

• Reduced risk of reoffending and a successful transition into the community

• Improved mental health and emotional wellbeing, along with a reduced reliance on crisis services.

Specifically, how does trauma-informed support help break the cycle of reoffending for women? 

Trauma-informed support plays a crucial role in reducing reoffending amongst women by tackling the underlying causes of their criminal behaviour.

Key components include:

• Building resilience for personal development.

• Supporting long-term stability through engagement with probation, mental health services, addiction recovery, and employment support.

• Promoting identity change and desistance from crime.

• Reducing crisis-driven responses with early interventions to secure housing and support upon release to prevent crises like homelessness or relapse.